Women making inroads into trades

Kirsten Leckie is a Vancouver, B.C. electrician who works for the film industry as well as with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.Photo by
Rebecca Blissett

Kirsten Leckie says that although she might be the only woman on a job site some days, she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I love working with tools and building things," says the journeyman electrician.

A self-described outdoor type, Leckie actually has five jobs, from lamp operations and cabling on movie and television sets to construction work. It's that flexibility she loves most about being a skilled tradesperson. Since completing her electrical apprenticeship, she says she's able to switch in and out of different projects depending on demand - or her vacation plans.

"Sometimes I go up to the oil-sands to work for a few months, and then take a holiday. Last fall I worked three months at a potash mine in Saskatchewan and saved enough to go surfing for two months in South America. That's why I love my job. I have to say, my friends get pretty jealous."

While Leckie has found her niche, women continue to be under-represented in the construction trades, says Tamara Pongracz, chief instructor for the women in trades program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

"It was one per cent when I started in the trades and it hasn't increased a whole lot since. But we're trying to change that."

She says it's a slow evolution, even though young women seem keen to consider construction trades.

"We recently partnered with the B.C. Industry Training Authority and Skills Canada to host a young women's conference in which registration was open to high school girls. We hit capacity instantly. Another piece of good news is that counsellors are now presenting trades careers to young women as a viable career option."

Women in trades do remarkably well, making 98 cents to every dollar per hour that males make, versus the overall average of 70 to 71 cents per hour, she says.

"It's one of the areas where wages are more or less at parity."

What's even more appealing is the lifestyle.

"There's a sense of independence you can gain from being a tradesperson," Pongracz says.

"And being able to see concrete results from your work at the end of the day is pretty cool."

Chantel Smith, a certified insulator who teaches at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, decided to switch from hairdressing to pursue her chosen field.

"Money was the big draw," Smith says. "But I've had nothing but great experiences and opportunities doing this work ever since."

Today she mentors girls exploring trades careers.

"It's not always the first choice to be an insulator, for example. But when someone asks why, I just say, why not? You're physically active, you meet amazing people, you get to work outdoors in the field most of the time, you can choose when and where you want to work, and you get to take long holidays if you want."

"ToolGirl" Mag Ruffman, a contracting professional and TV celebrity do-it-yourself specialist from Mulmur, Ont., says she's heartened to see more women stepping up the plate during events such as Skills Canada competitions.

"There are lots of great girls on the leading edge of nonconformity."

She says there's no reason for women to avoid construction trades.

"They're really good at making things and problem solving. Every day is different, and contrary to what you might think, you don't need to be strong. You just need to be smart and agile."

The career options are also plentiful, running the gamut from unionized full-time positions to self-employment.

When on the talk circuit, Ruffman also loves to tell people how elastic trades can be.

"You can stretch from a trade to art easily. There are so many female welders that make ornaments and sculptures, for example."

Having been successful in the field, Ruffman strongly believes that women have a great future in trades.

"The more open-minded a women is, the more they might see themselves in an unconventional trade."

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